GAA may bring in players names on shirts

[supersarsfields]

I don't understand this at all. Why in God's name would they need the names on the back. Is a foot high number not enough to tell people apart? The ref and any commentator will have the list of numbers with the names beside it. Surely it's not that hard to check.
And like mentioned earlier does this mean an end to 1-15 lining out? ( I know there's the odd late replacement)  Are we going to get player's requesting certain numbers now for the season?  Madness. 

[thejuice]

From the Belfast Telegraph 

GAA looks ready to go professional

Friday, 8 January 2010

Gaelic Athletic Association, for an amateur organisation, bears all the hallmarks of one that is simply ready to go professional.

With Croke Park now a world-class stadium generating revenue from numerous income streams, surely the environment is now right for the GAA to go professional at inter-county level at least.

The format that would enable the GAA to evolve is straightforward. With competitions such as the O'Byrne cup in football acting as warm-up competitions as before, a championship season from March through to October would be suitable creating the best conditions weather-wise for football.

The National League and All-Ireland series in its present format in both football and hurling would be scrapped.

The current anomoly in the All-Ireland series in football for example where a team could be knocked out at provincial level, such as Kerry, and go on to win the All-Ireland, whereas a team such as Dublin could win the provincial crown, then lose one game in the All-Ireland series and be knocked out, would be negated.

A championship that would combine the very best of league and championship football would be the best means to enter the professional era. This format would generate sufficient revenue to sustain a professional game at inter-county level, providing the opportunity to raise playing facilities and the standard of play.

RYAN KELLY

Armagh City

[ha ha derry]

I assume it will be county teams only ? Anyway with numbers on the front and back of jerseys is it really required ? Or is it to do with the marketing of players images ?

[boojangles]

From the Belfast Telegraph 

GAA looks ready to go professional

Friday, 8 January 2010

Gaelic Athletic Association, for an amateur organisation, bears all the hallmarks of one that is simply ready to go professional.

With Croke Park now a world-class stadium generating revenue from numerous income streams, surely the environment is now right for the GAA to go professional at inter-county level at least.

The format that would enable the GAA to evolve is straightforward. With competitions such as the O'Byrne cup in football acting as warm-up competitions as before, a championship season from March through to October would be suitable creating the best conditions weather-wise for football.

The National League and All-Ireland series in its present format in both football and hurling would be scrapped.

The current anomoly in the All-Ireland series in football for example where a team could be knocked out at provincial level, such as Kerry, and go on to win the All-Ireland, whereas a team such as Dublin could win the provincial crown, then lose one game in the All-Ireland series and be knocked out, would be negated.

A championship that would combine the very best of league and championship football would be the best means to enter the professional era. This format would generate sufficient revenue to sustain a professional game at inter-county level, providing the opportunity to raise playing facilities and the standard of play.

RYAN KELLY

Armagh City

Is that a journalists piece or a letter??

[mountainboii]

From the Belfast Telegraph 

GAA looks ready to go professional

Friday, 8 January 2010

Gaelic Athletic Association, for an amateur organisation, bears all the hallmarks of one that is simply ready to go professional.

With Croke Park now a world-class stadium generating revenue from numerous income streams, surely the environment is now right for the GAA to go professional at inter-county level at least.

The format that would enable the GAA to evolve is straightforward. With competitions such as the O'Byrne cup in football acting as warm-up competitions as before, a championship season from March through to October would be suitable creating the best conditions weather-wise for football.

The National League and All-Ireland series in its present format in both football and hurling would be scrapped.

The current anomoly in the All-Ireland series in football for example where a team could be knocked out at provincial level, such as Kerry, and go on to win the All-Ireland, whereas a team such as Dublin could win the provincial crown, then lose one game in the All-Ireland series and be knocked out, would be negated.

A championship that would combine the very best of league and championship football would be the best means to enter the professional era. This format would generate sufficient revenue to sustain a professional game at inter-county level, providing the opportunity to raise playing facilities and the standard of play.

RYAN KELLY

Armagh City

Is that a journalists piece or a letter??

Letter by the looks of things. Think the same numpty was in Off the Fence in the IN this week talking shite about Man Utd.

[saffron sam2]

If it's simply about helping to identify players, then surely a big picture of the player's face on the front of the jersey would be far, far more effective.

You could even put a picture of the back of their head on the back of the jersey. This might help with fireheads and baldies.

[Donnellys Hollow]

RTE said on the wireless this morning that this was going ahead.  Will the names be in Irish or in the Queens English.

What will be the shortest name, O'Se?  Who will have the longest name that won't fit.  Stuart McKensie-Smyth?

Great footballer! Took Darren Fay on a tour of Croke Park in 2003. Kildare's slump in the middle of the last decade coincided with McKenzie-Smith going off to play for London. 

[Bud Wiser]

One of the things I have against this is that scoring forwards will become the most popular buy when it comes to supporters selecting jerseys.  Most all of our lads like Henry Shefflin or indeed any player is always gracious enough to say in a post match interview that "it was a team effort, etc"

The introduction of this soccer type effort will result in less well known players in a county squad feeling that they are not as much acknowledged by their supporters as others.  The reason it does not apply in soccer is simply because soccer players are paid so for example if Ronaldo, when he was playing with Utd, sold out all his shirts Gary Neville down the back didn't care because he was happy on £150, 000 a week.

Is this where we are heading?  I am not surprised this announcement came so soon after the agreement between Duffy, Cooney and the GPA.  Will replica jerseys with the players names on them be released to the general public.

[lynchbhoy]

If it's simply about helping to identify players, then surely a big picture of the player's face on the front of the jersey would be far, far more effective.

You could even put a picture of the back of their head on the back of the jersey. This might help with fireheads and baldies.

numbers are bad enough but names would surely be discriminatory against dyslexic refs
bad enough that some of them are already half blind or dont know the rules (or both) but those that have difficulties in reading are going to have to retire

[Denn Forever]

For Intercounty games, is there not a 4th ofifcal or someone assessing the referee?

On programmes the team is given with corresponding numbers.  It shouldn't be that difficult to idenify players even i they gave a false name.  It doesn't make sense.

[Rossfan]

'Going forward it's something we might look at,' Duffy told the Examiner.

That's a long way from introducing such a thing but sure it's another opening for the usual suspects to get stuck into the GPA 

[muppet]

'Going forward it's something we might look at,' Duffy told the Examiner.

That's a long way from introducing such a thing but sure it's another opening for the usual suspects to get stuck into the GPA 

Going forward I hope he stops saying 'going forward'.

[The Forfeit Point]

Don't see anything there about Canning being against it. He clearly indicates it doesn't matter to him.

Headline writers should be sent out to grit the roads naked.

I think its a good idea to put the names on shirts.

It seems he isn't for it but won't lose any sleep over it whatever way it goes

...the Galway sharpshooter said: "I'd rather just come off the field and be the same as everyone and not many people know you and you can walk around and live a normal life.

"If it is in, it is in. If it is not, it's not. It is not a big deal for me anyway."

I know Hurling is different with the helmets but I wouldn't like to see names on the back of some of the egos jerseys.  I reckon it could lead to all kinds of soccer-esque celebrations - after scoring pointing to your name etc - which isn't the GAA at all

if they wanted to do soccer esque celebrations now, they could, nothing stopping them except the idea of being made look like an eejit.
if it "isnt the gaa at all", then they wont do it surely

[Bud Wiser]

'Going forward it's something we might look at,' Duffy told the Examiner.

That's a long way from introducing such a thing but sure it's another opening for the usual suspects to get stuck into the GPA 

" That's a long way from introducing such a thing but sure it's another opening for the usual suspects to get stuck into the GPA "

   Indeed, the slightest opportunity and we open fire, all guns blazing at the smallest little target that appears, myself being one with the finger on the trigger all the time.

[blewuporstuffed]

I don't understand this at all. Why in God's name would they need the names on the back. Is a foot high number not enough to tell people apart? The ref and any commentator will have the list of numbers with the names beside it. Surely it's not that hard to check.
And like mentioned earlier does this mean an end to 1-15 lining out? ( I know there's the odd late replacement)  Are we going to get player's requesting certain numbers now for the season?  Madness.

exactly what i was thinking